NYC: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Patti Ann’s (570 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn)
Patti Ann’s is a Midwest-inspired restaurant and bakery in Prospect Heights from Chef Greg Baxtrom. Their Chocolate Chunk Cookie is both thick and large in size. It features three different types of chocolate- dark, milk, and white. It’s crispy around the edges, and gets chewier and gooier as you get closer to the center. It’s a stellar cookie that’s best served warm, and can also be found at Baxtrom’s Midtown, Manhattan restaurant Five Acres.
Levain Bakery (multiple locations)
No “Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” list would be complete without Levain Bakery’s Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie. These are super thick and buttery with crisp brown edges, and a gooey molten-like center. They do make a nut-free version, but I prefer the walnut version as it adds depth of flavor and a nice crunch.
Culture Espresso (multiple locations)
Culture Espresso is a coffee-shop with three locations in Midtown West. In addition to drinks, they offer an assortment of freshly baked cookies, and they are anything but average! Their chocolate chip cookies are crispy around the edges, and soft and chewy in the center. They’re buttery, not overly sweet, and are loaded up with a generous amount of dark chocolate chips. These are not a stop along the way, they’re the destination.
From Lucie (263 E 10th St)
From Lucie is a charming bakery inspired by the French countryside located in The East Village. They’re best known for their floral cakes which are as beautiful as they are delicious, but in my (possibly unpopular) opinion, the other baked goods here are somehow even more impressive. Lucie’s Chocolate Chip Cookie features three different types of dark chocolate and a 35% milk chocolate, and is then topped with Maldon salt. The edges are crunchy, the center is chewy, and I couldn’t construct a better chocolate chip cookie if I tried.
Gramercy Tavern (42 E 20th St)
Gramercy Tavern is a contemporary American restaurant from restaurateur Danny Meyer with a tasting menu in the dining room, and an á la carte menu in “The Tavern.” On said á la carte menu, you’ll find this Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie served with a side of Vanilla Bourbon Milk. It’s served warm, and has crispy edges and a soft center.
Disclaimer: I haven’t had it since their beloved pastry chef Miro Uskokovic left in early 2023, but I have high hopes it remains just as good!
L.A. Burdick (156 Prince Street)
Is there anything L.A. Burdick doesn’t do well? Unlikely. This European-style chocolate shop in Soho is best known for their handmade artisan chocolates, but let it be known that they also have a phenomenal chocolate chip cookie, known as the “Burdick Cookie.” It features a rich and moist dark chocolate center, dark chocolate chips, walnuts, and vanilla beans. It has crispy edges and a gooey center, with the walnuts adding an additional crunch. Good luck taking just one bite.
Radio Bakery (135 India Street)
Radio Bakery opened in Greenpoint in spring 2023, and is led by Kelly Mencin who oversees baking at the popular restaurant Rolo’s. Throughout the day, they roll out an assortment of breads, pastries, and sandwiches. I tried a LOT here, and was blown away by their Chocolate Chunk Cookie. It’s simple with a buttery flavor, high quality chocolate, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a super chewy texture. They usually come out around 10am, and sell out quickly, so plan accordingly.
Funny Face Bakery (multiple locations)
Funny Face Bakery is best known for their hand-painted face cookies which are a true work of art, but don’t sleep on their thick, gooey cookies either! Their Chocolate Chip Cookie is thick with crispy edges and a soft, gooey center. It is one of my favorite cookies in New York City, along with their S’mores.
Little Maven (30 W 18th St.)
I was wholly impressed by these homemade Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies from the new restaurant Little Maven in Flatiron. They are sweet and salty with crispy edges and a chewy center. It definitely doesn’t hurt that they are served fresh out of the oven. The scoop of ice cream on the side is nice but unnecessary. I didn’t love the savory foods here, but it’s worth stopping in for dessert!
JM Bakery (601 W 26th St.)
I was so impressed by the quality of all of the baked goods at JM Bakery in Olly Olly Market, but their brown butter chocolate chip cookie left a particularly long lasting impression. This cookie has crispy golden edges, a soft gooey center, and just the right amount of dark chocolate chunks and flaky sea salt.
Jacques Torres (multiple locations)
Jacques Torres is well known for his thin and crispy, buttery chocolate chip cookies made using 60% Belgian dark chocolate, rich European butter, and a combination of bread and cake flour. They’re available at the Dumbo and Grand Central Station storefronts, and for nationwide shipping. The recipe is also published on their website if you prefer to try it out in your own kitchen!
Bread + Butter (53 Rockaway Ave)
Bread + Butter is a bakery in Bed-Stuy serving a rotating menu of superb, creative pastries. Their chocolate chip cookie is simple and perfectly executed. It has crisp edges with a soft but not underbaked center, pools of high-quality dark chocolate, and a sprinkle of flaky salt. It’s chewy, butter, and delicious, and immediately soared my “top 3” for best chocolate chip cookies in NYC. They are only open Thurs-Monday and I recommend pre-ordering.
La Mercerie (53 Howard Street)
La Mercerie is a French restaurant in Soho with a unique and exemplary off-menu chocolate chip cookie. It’s thick with crispy edges and a gooey yet light center, with a hint of hazelnut and a dusting of flaky sea salt. It’s worth dining here for the cookie alone.
Jean’s (415 Lafayette St.)
Jean’s is a trendy new restaurant and nightclub in NoHo with a giant, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie served with bourbon milk on their dessert menu. It has crispy edges and a soft center, and isn’t overly sweet. I loved all of the desserts at Jean’s and would go out of my way to have them again.
Ceremonia Bakeshop (743 Driggs Ave)
I’ve never had a bad (or even mediocre) pastry from Ceremonia Bakeshop, and there’s no “wrong” order here, but I do think that their cookies are special. Their chocolate chip cookie is buttery with crispy edges and a chewy center. It’s packed with delicious dark chocolate chunks and is topped with a sprinkle of flaky salt. It’s a perfectly constructed chocolate chip cookie.
Edith’s (495 Lorimer St.)
While you may not be met with the friendliest service here, you WILL be met with an exquisite chocolate chip cookie, formally known as the “Amba Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie.” These cookies are flat and buttery with crispy edges and a super chewy center. I’ve never had a cookie quite like it, and it’s worth going out of your way for.